Series has established History as a serious contender in the cable scripted space

Program, which bowed last month, ranks as the top new cable series this year. Drama has averaged 5 million total viewers in its Sunday 10 p.m. time slot over the last five weeks, helped in part by its strong lead-in with miniseries “The Bible.”

In March, “Vikings” was the No. 2-rated basic cable drama among adults 18-49, 25-54 and total viewers — second only to AMC’s “The Walking Dead.”

“‘Vikings’ is a win-win for us,” said History’s exec veep of development and programming Dirk Hoogstra. “As our first scripted series, ‘Vikings’ has paid off in a big way with critical acclaim, strong ratings and a passionate, loyal fan base. It came out of the gate strong and has stayed on top, solidifying History as a major player in the scripted genre, just as we are in reality.”

“Vikings” has four episodes remaining in its frosh run. The season finale is slated for April 28.